Talented new faces look to reinvigorate ASU baseball

For a college baseball program in the type of situation currently facing Arizona State — a traditionally successful team coming off of its all-time worst season (22-38, 8-20 Pac-12) — the rise of a new wave of a young players can make all the difference.

A handful of those first-year players look to be able to make immediate impacts on an ASU team in need of new blood.

“Guys are so excited to get out on the field come February in a public setting, to show, ‘Hey man, we want to get that bad taste out of our mouth just as much as you do as alumni and fans and what have you,” head coach Tracy Smith said.

With the season opener against the Miami (OH) Redhawks just a month away, here’s a brief look at a few of the most heralded freshman Sun Devils:

Alika Williams | Infielder — San Diego, Calif.

When Alika Williams started practices with ASU baseball at second base, he couldn’t help but notice his own striking similarity to the guy playing to his right, fellow freshman Drew Swift at shortstop.

“From the first day, really, we had instant chemistry, turning double plays, just communication, and I feel like that’s going to be huge in the season,” he said. “It’s just going to be a big part of our team, really.”

Admittedly, Swift noticed it, too.

“Right when we got here, I noticed that we have the same body type almost, and it was a little easier to connect with him,” Swift said. “We both enjoy the same things, so I believe we can do some good stuff up the middle.”

Swift wasn’t the only player Williams connected with, as the entire 15-man freshman class developed a close bond over the summer of 2017.

“We’re all really close,” he said. “We were all here in the summer, taking classes and just lifting, so we had to a couple months just to get to know each other really well, and I feel like we’re like a family now, we’re all really close.”

Aside from the guys his own age, though, Williams noted that upperclassmen like junior pitcher Connor Higgins and sophomore infielder Carter Aldrete have most notably invested in him and that they’ll often spend time together watching sports.

“After practices, they’ll have us over to their houses just to hang out,” he said. “Carter was telling me last year they didn’t have that, and this year they just wanted us to feel welcome.”

Having boasted a .930 career fielding percentage during his days at Rancho Bernardo High School, Williams’ play at second base is his calling card. That said, the Yankees’ 2017 32nd round draft pick also posted a .374 batting average and knocked in 68 runs during his four years of varsity ball.

Now, Williams has the chance improve upon an impressive high school career at ASU, and his sights are set on helping bring the program back to the national relevance that initially attracted him to the school.

“Ever since I was a little kid, you’d hear about Arizona State baseball, just the winning tradition here,” he said. “I take a lot of pride in that, just to keep that winning tradition alive.”

Drew Swift | Infielder — Chandler, Ariz.

For a brief moment, Drew Swift and Gage Workman might not have gotten off to exactly the best start when the two moved into their shared dorm.

Swift came from Hamilton High School, Workman came from Basha High School. The two had gone head to head as rivals on more than one occasion.

“It took a bit to get close to him,” Workman said with a laugh.

Swift — who played four years of varsity at Hamilton — certainly remembers playing against Basha, but couldn’t specifically recall any head-to-head memories with his new roommate.

“I remember hitting a home run off their pitcher, but not too much of (Workman),” he said. “They got the best of us in the regular season but, towards the postseason, we got them.”

Given that Swift made his name at one of area’s top high school programs — one that was ranked No. 18 nationally and notched an AIA Division I state title in his junior season — to play at a nearby college program that has also been historically successful was always his end goal.

“I grew up loving them, my uncle played here, and just being able to live the dream, it’s going to be great,” he said. “I know we have a young group of kids that have a lot of talent, and we should have a good, successful year this year.”

To that end, the first time he truly realized the magnitude of his having achieved that goal was on the first day of fall practice.

“Just the whole day, it was hectic, but right when I got on the field, I was like, ‘Wow, this is real.’ I can’t wait, the whole break, it was nail-biting, I always wanted to get out there and throw. I can’t wait for the season to start up.”

A .355 career batter who also pitched to a 2.89 ERA as a closer, Swift entered ASU as the No. 3 shortstop in the state of Arizona according to Perfect Game. There’s a solid likelihood he’ll start alongside Williams in the middle of the infield, especially given the fluid combination the two make when playing together.

“Coming in, I thought that I may have a shot to start,” he said. “If not, maybe I could play a role on the bench, find a way to get in the game, but if it’s starting, that works, too.”

Having played for a perennial winner in high school, though, Swift’s No. 1 goal for his career at ASU is simple.

“I just wanted to come in and do as much as I can to help out the team,” he said. “I came here to do is just win, so hopefully we can get that done.”

Gage Workman | Infielder — Queen Creek, Ariz.

According to Tracy Smith, Gage Workman is one of his quieter players. He’s young — the age of a senior in high school, having graduated from Basha High School a year early — but his work ethic and maturity garner comparisons to one of ASU baseball’s key leaders in the infield.

Maybe it’s just in the name.

“If you’re Gage, you’re not allowed to talk,” Smith said. “He does possess a lot of the same qualities as Gage Canning because he just goes about his work. He’s mature beyond his years in terms of his personality, he has one of the best work ethics on our team.”

While playing at ASU has been a “lifelong dream” that dates back to Workman’s memories of watching the Sun Devils play at Packard Stadium, his official decision to play for Tracy Smith came after his first meeting Smith and his coaching staff.

“Meeting with the coaches for the first time, they really solidified the deal, they’re awesome guys and they kind of pulled me here,” Workman said. “They just said that they like me and that this was a good fit for me, and how they could help me get to the next level through ASU.”

In particular, Workman immediately connected with Smith, taking a liking to his straightforward, blunt demeanor.

“Tracy’s straight up with you, he’ll tell you exactly what he sees when he sees it,” he said. “I like that about a coach. You know where you stand with him.”

As several of his fellow freshmen echoed, the influence of the upperclassman leaders on the team has played just as important of a role in their transition into college baseball.

Workman specifically noted sophomore outfielder Hunter Bishop — who batted .301 and knocked in 25 runs in his first season at ASU — as an older player with whom he’s bonded since joining the program.

“All the upperclassmen were really cool when I came on my visit, they kind of took me in and showed me the ropes, they were super welcoming. He had a good year last year and he really took me under his wing. He said, ‘Let’s go hit, let’s go get extra work in.’ He’s really cool about that kind of stuff.”

From an on-field perspective, Workman joins a very busy infielder this season, one that clearly includes several worthy freshmen.

His high school numbers speak for themselves. In his final season at Basha, Workman batted .396, led the Bears with 28 RBI, and finished with a fielding percentage of .888, all garnering him a 14th round selection by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2017 MLB Draft.

“I think I’ll be able to challenge (for a spot in the starting lineup),” he said. “We have a lot of freshmen that might play this year, so there will probably be a lot of rotating pieces.”

But no matter how he’s able to contribute in his first season, Workman is, at the very least, thrilled to be attending and playing at his dream school.

“The facilities are awesome, I love everything about this place. The academics are great here, everything about it is a good fit.”